Homeopathy Papers

History of Homeopathy in Malta

Sept  MALTA

The Malta Association of Homeopaths presents a History of Homeopathy in Malta

 Reprinted with permission from the Malta Association of Homeopaths https://www.homeopathy.org.mt/

The history and link of Malta with the healing art and science of homeopathy perhaps starts as far back as 1530 with the advent of the sovereign knights hospitaller of St John of Jerusalem. The order’s original ethos was to offer medicinal and hospitaller services to the pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land.

Knights Hospitaller

Throughout the centuries the knights, who embodied the elite and highest intelligence of the most influential courts in Europe, amassed a codex of medicinal science and lore unparalleled for many centuries. This encompassed direct knowledge from Avicenna and the Arab golden age, spyrogric medicine, doctrine of signatures, paracelsian and alchemical texts.

Hence the island’s link with homeopathy if Paracelsus is said to be the father of homeopathy. It is also the Maltese nation’s first link with Hahnemann’s first precept:

“The physician’s highest and only mission is to restore the sick to health, to cure, as it is termed”.

For 270 years Malta was under the sole rule and governance of an order whose raison d’être was to restore the sick to health. The departure of the knights form Malta coincided with the birth of homeopathy in Europe. This does not bring to an end Malta’s ties with homeopathy, which reach as far back as its inception. In the 19th century the island was visited by the consort queen Adelaide and her troupe of homeopathic physicians. Queen Adelaide was the patron queen of homeopathy in England and it was she who founded the first London homeopathic hospital. This is perhaps also the seed of Malta’s deep ties with the English school and tutorship of homeopathy.  It was a seed carried forth into the 21st century forming bonds of friendship, support and genuine mentorship with homeopaths Sue Josling, Linda Razzell and Martin Miles.

In 1995 Malta formed part of Peter Chapell’s pilot project through the London College of Classical Homeopathy of inseminating homeopathic education across Europe. This was a 3 year diploma course which grounded its students in a thorough knowledge of philosophy, materia medica and classical homeopathy. However, this did not equip the students with enough methodologies, clinical practice, supervision and licentiate. A link made with Linda Razzell during the LCCH course led to this.

In 2000 the South East College of Homeopathy together with Sue Josling and Linda Razzell offered a full Licentiate course held in Malta. The licentiate course also incorporated 400 clinical hours and interactive supervision, six students participated and graduated in 2003 obtaining a licentiate and registration with ARH. Turning full circle the Malta pioneering group of homeopaths decided to reconnect to its original roots and conducted a proving of the plant cynemorium coccineum cinn. A plant that was vastly used and highly esteemed and guarded by both the Arabs and the hospitaller order, now forms part of the homeopathic materia medica.

In Malta homeopathy is starting to flourish as a natural and safe way to treat the whole being. Homeopathic services are offered from the three main points of the Island. Regular radio and TV programmes as well as ongoing articles in newspapers and local magazines are helping to establish it as a professional and safe method in the restoration of the sick to health.

About the author

Malta Association of Homeopaths

MAH is a nonprofit organisation based in Malta that supports and promotes a high standard of safe and effective homeopathic practice.

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